A Spring in Our Step! Black Maternal Health and More!
Hennepin County, Minnesota sent this bulletin at 04/18/2024 09:40 AM CDT
April 2024
Happy Spring! We want to use this newsletter to highlight all that we've been up to in the last two months and to bring awareness to Black Maternal Health Week and our upcoming Earth Day events!
As always, please reach out with questions, comments, or to learn more about how to get involved. Thank you for reading.
With gratitude,
Women's History Month and Black Maternal Health Intersect
As we've been blessed with warm weather and continue to move into even warmer weather, the energy in the county has been buzzing! I wanted to spend this time with you all to highlight an intersection of two topics that are close to my heart. March being Women's History Month and this week being Black Maternal Health week reminds me of the importance of Women, Women's stories, and justice.
I want to highlight the intersection between the lived experiences of Black Women who have made history; and the crucial conversation and work being done around Black Maternal Health. Black Women, and women of color in general, often get left out of the conversation when it comes to raising awareness on the critical role that women have had in social justice movements.
Fannie Lou Hamer was a Black American voting and women's right activist, community organizer, and leader in the civil rights movements. Fannie Lou was born in Mississippi in 1917 and was a sharecropper who began picking cotton at the age of six. Fanny Lou then grew into a young woman fighting for her right to vote. Fannie Lou worked alongside Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and is known, in part, for her work in attempting to vote in 1962. In 1963 she attended a voter registration workshop, after which, on her way home she was arrested by Mississippi State Patrol and was brutally beaten while in custody.
A beating whose injuries she never fully recovered from. Yet that didn't stop her; she continued her fight for civil rights.
Powerful Women and the Intersection of Black Maternal Health
Prior to Fannie Lou's influential campaign for voting rights in 1962, she had a harrowing experience with the health system of Mississippi in 1961.
I want to pause and take a moment to acknowledge that through Fanny Lou Hamer's story I've come to learn more of the historical and continued injustice that Black Women face in our health care systems. I learned of the term a 'Mississippi appendectomy'; which is what Fanny Lou was subjected to. Fanny Lou and her husband had wanted very much to start a family but in 1961, Fannie Lou went into surgery to have a uterine tumor removed and woke up having received a hysterectomy. A White doctor, unknown to Fannie Lou, performed the surgery as it was common practice in Mississippi for 'population control'; a practice targeted at poor, African American women.
Black women face healthcare- maternal health care- disparities at 3 to 4 times the rate of our white counterparts. We see the example of Serena Williams, who had life threatening medical complications with her first pregnancy and birth. We see the example of Beyonce who had preeclampsia, which effects Black women at higher rates than White women. A third example, Tori Bowie, a three-time Olympic medalist in track and field, previously known as the fastest woman in the world, passed away at the age of 32 from complications associated with children. And the most recent example, Krystal Anderson, a former Kansas City Chiefs Cheerleader who passed away a month ago from sepsis, just three days after delivering her stillborn child, read more here. These are just four of the many women who have been harmed or lost their lives due to the dynamic experience Black women face in the healthcare system.
Building Hope and Preserving Health Safety
It's stories like this that make me think of how important midwives, doulas, safe birthing, and equitable health care spaces are. March 14th was Black Midwives Day, which highlighted the crucial work of midwives. Historically, African American midwives were used for community safety and during slavery they often ensured the health of reproducing enslaved women and their newborn infants. Midwives have a deeply rooted history, and when midwives are involved in the birth process it can avert 67% of maternal deaths.
Last week, my team had the pleasure of joining the Black Maternal Health Week Panel and Celebration hosted by the Wilder Foundation's African American Babies Coalition, whose co-sponsors included Healthy Black Pregnancies and Planned Parenthood, among others. It was such a heartwarming and uplifting space to be in. My team learned so many amazing things, including terms such as Materno-toxic zones, coined by Jennie Joseph, a TIMES Magazine recognized midwife. Materno-toxic or materno-toxicity refers to any condition that yields a negative, toxic impact creating an unhealthy pregnancy. This can include factors like food deserts, a lack of greenspaces, and violence.
These spaces always remind me of our collective power and the importance of remaining hopeful in change and growth.
Hennepin Hopeful
It's amazing to see the intersections of our environment and health, both personally and in the green spaces around us. On that note of hope, I am proud to highlight the work that Hennepin County is doing to bolster our environmental engagement and continue to improve our county health considerations.
This week I introduced a proclamation declaring April 11th through 17th Black Maternal Health Week in Hennepin County. This week is a way to highlight the grave disparities in Black maternal health outcomes and calls us to action.
Helping communities at the center of this work is Hennepin County’s Maternal Health Initiative. This initiative is working to address disparities and its impacts.
Some of which include Black women having a highest risk of pregnancy-related heart problems and the national maternal mortality rate for Black women being 2.6 times the rate for White women. The rates for Black women were also significantly higher than rates for White Hispanic/Latina women. These disparities in care are caused by historical and ongoing racism.
To facilitate community driven solutions to maternal health disparities, Hennepin County Public Health is investing in community-based efforts and provides a focus on improving outcomes for those facing the worst disparities.
This includes creating new partnerships and supporting sustainable birth justice and maternal health infrastructure for systems change and to get at the root causes of inequalities.
The Board then unanimously approved the appointment of Sara Hollie, Hennepin County's new Director of Public Health. Former Director Susan Palchick has worked hard, and we thank her for her service to the County! I look forward to our partnership with Sara and how we can continue to build equity into Hennepin's public health systems.
The Board also welcomed the appointment of Tonya Berzat, Hennepin's new Director of Child Support & Well-Being. Tonya brings her own portfolio of wonderful experience and I look forward to the work to come to better serve our families and children.
The Board recognized Earth Day coming up on April 22nd! For Earth Day this year, the county is focused on ways we can take action and resident opportunities to get involved.
We are focused on cleaning up and protecting lakes, rivers, and streams; and we’ve accepted the challenge from Goodhue County to participate in the Mighty Mississippi Cleanup. As we work, residents can be part of the solution by joining a cleanup event or organizing your own cleanup with family, friends, or colleagues.
We’re also focusing on advancing a zero-waste future and connecting to our local communities. Residents can be part of the solution by taking steps to waste less food by engaging with our new trash or cash campaign, signing up for Fridge Check Friday reminders, and participating in organics recycling.
Residents can also join in on community education by attending an Earth Day event, talking about climate change and environmental issues with your family, friends and neighbors; and encouraging a community organization or school that you know to apply for a Green Partners Environmental Education Grant – applications due April 25. These are just a few of the amazing things the county is providing and the ways you can get engaged! Click here to view county resources and learn more on how you can get engaged.
District 4 Highlights
Over the last month, I've been out in the community and at the Capitol working to support our county priorities and ensure I'm working for the safety and welfare of all of you as well.
In mid-March I joined ISAIAH MN to talk with members who reside in District 4 on expansion of affordable housing, climate action, and youth programming investments in Hennepin County. It was incredible to spend my time with so many wonderful folks who are ready to roll up their sleeves and get to work right alongside me!
Then, early on in April I joined Senator Zaynab Mohamed and testified on SF4018, the Bridge to Shelter Act, which would establish $60 million in grant funding for metro and Greater Minnesota shelter and housing projects. The bill is supported by more than 30 impacted stakeholders; and I am proud to stand by this in the hopes that we can continue to mitigate homelessness and better serve our unhoused residents.
Shortly after, I joined my colleagues at our Hennepin County State of the County address. Chair Fernando's speech was truly vibrant and inspiring, watch the full event here. It was a delightful reminder of the impactful work Hennepin County has done in the areas of housing, the launch of our basic income pilot, environmental justice, human services, and much more!
And most recently, I joined the Radio show "The Narrative", a southside staple! “The Narrative” amplifies the voices, stories, cultures, and conversations happening in our neighborhoods, focusing on communities that have been historically ignored, misrepresented, and erased by traditional media.
We talked restorative justice and why it works, funding solutions, maintaining care and preservation through crisis as a leader, and so much more. Catch the conversation here.
Capitol Update
As always, the legislative session is in full swing and it's as busy as ever! Our Board is alert and watching several moving pieces that are important to us at the county. As I mentioned above, we're closely watching the Bridge to Shelter Act but we're also watching the Layla Jackson Law (HF912), formerly known as the African American Family Preservation Act. The Layla Jackson Law would modify child welfare provisions, establish the African American Child Well-Being Advisory Council, appropriate money, and propose coding for new law in state statute. I have been a strong advocate for this bill since my election; and I have been working closely with several people who have championed this effort and bill. The County has expressed support to the bill authors and has submitted letters of support to the committees.
District 4 Goes to D.C.
Large Urban County Caucus (LUCC) Fly In
I'm excited to join my NACo peers here in May. Our District 4 office is kicking off May strong by attending the Large Urban County Caucus Fly-In to Washington, D.C.. As LUCC Vice Chair, each year we fly in to meet with federal elected officials. We will spend this quick trip discussing the significance of housing affordability and mental health crisis services while sharing what we as a county have been working on and the cruciality of their funding supports.
Events Around the District
Arbor Day Elliot Park Tree Planting:
When:
April 26th 9-12:00pm
April 26th 1-4:00pm
Where: Franklin Steele Park- 1600 Portland Ave, S.
April is dedicated to education: the history of education, discriminatory policies and practices within the education system, and different types of education models, such as higher education, trades, entrepreneurial, and cultural community ways of knowing.
The Black Wealth Community Education Series is free, virtual, live, and open to all while centering Black people and Black experiences. This is a Black-centered space where the Open Road Fund prioritizes uplifting Black voices and safety.
Organizer: Open Road Fund | Nexus
Arbor Day Event:
When: April 26th 4-8:00pm
Where: McRae Park, 906 East 47th Street, Minneapolis, MN 55407
Come enjoy a 5k and kids’ sapling dash, help plant over 65 new trees around the park. There will be live music and food trucks and fun activities all over the park.
Minnehaha Creek Duck Race Event:
When: May 4th 11-2:00pm
Where: 1200 East Minnehaha Parkway, Minneapolis, MN 55417 learn more here.
Free the Deeds Door Knock:
When: April 25th 5-7:30pm
Where:LCC Office- 3101 Minnehaha Ave, Minneapolis, MN, United States
Volunteer with Free the Deeds and help us remove the 900+ racial covenants in Greater Longfellow with a door knocking campaign throughout the month of April. We are going door-to-door helping property owners start the process of removing the covenant with a free program.
Gardening for Wildlife: Creating Pollinator Habitats:
When: April 29th 6:30-7:30pm
Where: Zoom
Go in-depth with this Gardening for Wildlife class via Zoom. This is completely free. If you are a Greater Longfellow resident and want to join us, please email Daniel Schultz at dschultz6@comcast.net with the date you would like to attend, and he will send you info and a Zoom link.
Where:Vine Arts Center- 2637 27th Ave S, Minneapolis
For 20 years, Seward Longfellow Restorative Justice has been creating opportunities for restorative practices at home, school, and in the legal system. It's time to Celebrate! Join us at the Vine Arts Center for an evening of appreciation for all we have accomplished together while we look forward to all that is still ahead!
Where:Matthews Park Center- 2318 29th Ave S, Minneapolis, MN
Join Seward for this family-friendly event celebrating Seward on May 11th! Meet new neighbors and spend a day in the park. There will also be an ice cream giveaway! Email info@sng.org with any questions.
Drop In Seed Sowing @ Hosmer Library
Where: Hosmer Library- 347 East 36th Street Minneapolis, MN, 55408United States(map)
Spring Food Truck Rally:
When: May 18th, 4-7:00pm
Where: 5019 S 34th Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55417
Join Nokomis East for their Annual Spring Food Truck Rally! Learn more here
Nokomis Reads Event:
When: May 28th, 12-2:00pm
Where: 5100 S 34th Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55417
Nokomis East teamed up with Hennepin County Library and Crosstown Covenant Church to create a new reading group focused on the issues of social justice! For their first book, they will discuss poverty in the USA. Together, they'll read the book, listen to a few podcasts and discuss poverty in the United States, contributing factors, and what can actively be done to fight poverty in America.
Nokomis Library already has copies reserved for anybody who would like to join and The Irreverent Bookworm, a local bookstore ordered extra copies for anybody interested in purchasing a book locally. RSVP Here
